Holder for hats, pencils, eyeglasses, and the like.



T. M. SMITH. HOLDER FOR HATS, PENCILS, EYEGLASSES,AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 4.1918.

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THOMAS MARSHALL SMITH,

AS AFN FFTQE.

OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

HOLDER FOR HATS, PENOILS, EYEGLASSES, AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Fatented Oct. 8, 1918.

Application filed April 4, 1918. Serial No. 226,670.

guard, to prevent the hat from being blown itlway should it be dislodged from the users ead.

It is the object of'my invention to provide a simple and economical form of spring reel winding mechanism for an attaching cord, which may be marketed at a low price, and which will be eflicient in use.

The invention consists in the features and combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly defined by the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a hat with my improved guard device attached thereto;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a portion of hat with the guard device combined therewith; I

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the casing, spring drum, and associated parts of the device;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 of a modification, and,

Fig. 6 is a view of one of the elements of the device;

Fig. 7 shows the device as used for holding a pencil.

Figs. 8 and 9 show the device as used for holding eye glasses.

The spring reel, as shown in Fig. 3, consists of a base plate 1, which may be pro vided with means of any suitable character a for attaching the device at the point where it is to be employed. This means may consist simply of a hook or pin a, Figs. 7 and 8, to engage the clothing of the user, or if the in the particular construction shown I employ PI'OJGCtlOIlS 5 on the shell 4:, which are bent into connection with the base plate. Within this shell a drum or reel 6 is mounted about which the attaching cord 7 is wound, this cord passing up through an opening in the casing or shell, shown at S.

The reel or drum 6 has within it a coiled spring 9. This is attached to the drum at 10, and its inner end is suitably connected or is m engagement with a central stud 11,

this stud being held against rotation, so that, upon drawlng on the cord 7, the reel will be turned and the spring wound up so that, upon release of the cord, the spring will return it into the casing by turning the drum and causing the cord to wind thereon. The stud or central post 11 forms the central bearing about which the reel turns, and besides performing this function, and also the function of engaging and holding the inner end of the spring, it performs an additional function in effecting the release of the drum or the clutching of the drum.

This stud, therefore, is combined with a spring member,and while this may be of various forms, in the particular construction shown it consists of curved arms 12 extending in opposite directions from the central stud, and the ends of these extensions lie upon the base plate and enter notches or openings at 13 in the wall of the shell or casing 4.. These extensions or arms 12 form an arch-shaped spring member, which presses upon the reel or drum at its central portion, where it is journaled about the central stud, and this pressure exerted by this spring forces the drum or reel into frictional engagement with a washer 14 of fiber or suitable material whichis placed between the flange 15 of the reel or drum and the outer wall 16 of the casing. The end of the stud 11 lies close to the inner face of the wall 16, of the casing, orshell, or sufliciently close that, upon pressure being exerted against the wall 16 to flex it inwardly, the stud will be borne upon and pressed axially in relation to the drum or reel, thus relieving the reel of the pressure from the sprmg 12, and the drum will then be free to be turned by the action of its coil spring because the fiange .15 will no longer bear upon the brake washer 14 with sufficient force to retain the drum or reel against mining.

The end" of the stud- 11 may extend through an opening in the fiber washer 1 1 so as to be engaged by the wall 16 of the easing when this is pressed inwardly, or pressure may be exerted when the wall 16 is flexed through the intermediate layer of fiber washer. The stud 11 may assume various forms, but in the particular construction shown it is made by cutting out portions from the spring elements 12 and turning these portions upwardly toward each other, the upper end of said turned portions being bent, as shown at 17, to provide a contact or bearing end on said stud to receive the pressure from the shell 16 or the washer 14.

It will be seen that the spring will be easily held against unwinding by the brake spring 12 forcing the reel bodlly against the brake washer or disk 14, and the braking efiect is sufficient to hold the reel against turning whether the cord 7 be partly drawn out or drawn out to its full limit. It w ll be noticedthat the pressure of the spring 12 is exerted at the center of the reel or drum, and thus a well-balanced construction is provided, there being no tendency for the reel to tip into angular position. The flange 15 affords a wide bearing surface to engage the brake washer 14. The inner end of the coil spring 9 may be secured to the post or stud 11 in various ways, but in the particular construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the inner end of the spring is bent into substantially S-shape, and passes around one side of the post, thence betweenthis side and the other side of the post 11, and then is bent partly amend this last inentioned side of the post, as shown in Fig. 4.

It will be noticed that the post is entirely concealed within the casing or shell, and further, that it will be operated by pressing the wall 16 inwardly so that the operator has a broad surface upon which to exert the pressure of the finger, and hedoesnot have to find or feel'for the end of the post itself. In other words, he need only approximate the position of' the post, and does not have to exert pressure at the exact center of the device, thus rendering it more convenient to operate because it requires less attentio'n on the part of the operator than would be the case if pressure had to be exerted on the end of a small button. i

In Fig. 5 a modification is shown in which the post extends through the washer 14 and a partition plate 141*, and the shell at 16' is spaced apart from the partition 14? and washer 1%1', and bears upon the extended portion or portions of the stud 11. When the device is used in connection with a hat, it islocated, as shown in Figs, 1 and 2, on the outside of the hat, and under the outer band, and preferably between the bow of this band and the outer. face of the crown, as shown. The entiredevice being of small dimension' axially, can be located under the bow without materially increasing the apparent thickness of the bow. The cord is led through an opening in the rim of the hat, any suitable form of eyelet 18 being provided to guide the cord, and any suitable form of attaching device or hook 19 may be employed on the cord to engage the clothing of the user.

As shown in Figs. 7 and 8 the device may be used as a holder fora pencil or eye glass. In this form it is preferably provided with a hooked member 24 adapted to receive the eye glass bow when the cord is wound up and when used as a pencil holder the pencil may be provided with a bail 25 to engage the hook and thus take the weight of the pencil or eye glass ofi from the cord and at the same time more closely confining the supported article to one position.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the character described, a casing, a spring drum therein, spring means for pressing the drum bodily in an axial direction to bear on a brake surface within the casing, said drum in all its axial positions maintaining its parallelism with the brake surface, and to hear thereon throughout its circular extent, said drum being movable in opposition to said spring pressure to be relieved from the restraint of said brake surface, and means for eflecting said release of the drum, substantially as described. I H

2. In combinaticn a casing, aspring reel or drum therein, a central stud, a spring for forcing the reel bodily in an axial direction against a circular brake surface within the casing to contact therewith throughout its circular extent, said stud acting upon said spring when pressure is applied thereto to release the reel'of said spring pressure and the restraint of the braking surface, substantially as described. 7

3. In combination a casing, a spring reel therein, a central stud passing through the spring reel, a bow-shaped spring connected with the stud, at the center of its bow and extending on the opposite sides of the same and bearing at its ends upon the casing, the said reel having frictional engagement with the interior of the casing, the'said stud when pressure isexerted thereon, removing spring pressure from the reel to thereby relieve it of the frictional restraint, substantially as described. p

4. In combination a casing consisting of a base portion and a shell removablyxattached thereto, a spring reel within the easing, a bow-shaped spring having its endsengaging theishelha post extending centrally from the bow-shaped spring through the reel, and with its *endt'o be pressed upon by the outer flexible wall of the casing and a fiber washer bearing upon the reel to restrain it against move'n1'ent until the central stud is pressed and pressure of the bow-shaped spring is Withdrawn, substantially as described.

5. In combination a casing, a reel Within the same, a central studabout Which the reel turns, a bow-shaped spring for restraining the reel against rotation, said stud consisting of portions cut out from the bow-shaped spring and bent substantially at right-angles 10 thereto, substantially as described.

6.- In combination, a casing having a circular brake surface, a spring reel therein, spring means for exerting pressure upon the reel at the axial center thereof to move it bodily and While maintaining its axis in one plane to make the side of the reel throughout its circular extent bear on the circular brake surface and means for relieving the spring pressure from the reel, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

THOMAS MARSHALL SMITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

